It's too late to apologize

"For (the overly apologetic), they desire peace at any price.

They would rather admit wrong if the arguments and conflicts will cease.

 Emotional calmness is more important than being right.

While this may appear to be an admirable trait, it often simmers as inner resentment.

Such internalized resentment often creates emotional distance between two individuals.

On the surface things seem to be relatively calm, but underneath and emotional explosion is in the making.

Failure to process the resentment can lead to the destruction of a relationship."

Peace at any price is not the road to authentic relationships.

It might be the road to survival.

 It might be the road to "get through the day."

It might be the only thing I could think of in the past, but I want something different now.

I am capable of something different now.

I totally stole this from someone else's blog, but I feel like it was written for me.

My goal for 2011 is to be the confident and unafraid of conflict Lori!!

Lori Ann

No regrets, Just love

Today has been extremely unproductive.

It's one of the perks of spinsterhood.

No cute Halloween pictures to put up on my facebook, but I can sleep until noon on Saturday!

Anyway, I know the topic of music comes up alot on this blog.
Wait..does it?

I don't know.

I am just thinking of music today because I 've been watching these videos:

***PLEASE WATCH AT LEAST A LITTLE OF EACH ONE..THEY ARE AWESOME!***

I watched this one because I am obsessed with Glee.

It reminded me of this all male acapella group I loved from a show called "The Sing Off" last year, so I started watching this video:

I love this particular medley, because the first song "Behind blue eyes" reminds me of my dad, so I watched this video:

Just hearing this song takes me back to my childhood.

 The beginning of it fills me with a weird sense of peace.

Anyway, I have got to be going.

 It's Harry Potter night.

It's ok to be jealous.

 Yes, my life is THAT glamorous

Lori Ann

p.s. Tomorrow, join me in my quest to figure out if the shed behind my office is haunted! Investigative Journalism at its best!

The best part of me was always you

I talked to the muffin babies yesterday.

Jack-Jack said:  "I really, really do love you, Aunt Lori"

James yelled: "When are you going to bring the Wii to our house??"

and the Elly Belly said what she always says:"You better check yourself, before you wreck yourself"

Katy was unavailable for comment, as she was busy running around wearing only a Pacman costume.

It's so hard for me to talk to them.

It's easier for me to pretend that I don't have nieces and nephews.

Because I miss them so much sometimes I can hardly breathe.

Lori Ann

Counting 1 2 3

Ok,

There are 3 things that are very important for me to share with all of you

. Here they are, in no particular order...

1. Yesterday, one of my clients told me that his foster father had cooked him

 "the Jesus of all pork chops".

 Most creative and disturbing blasphemy I've ever heard.
(Not that I support it, but my initial reaction was laughter!)

2. I have been invited to the MANAGEMENT RETREAT!

 You know what this means, people.

 I am now "The man".

 And, on a side note, yeah..I'm going need those TPS reports ASAP.

and lastly.

3. My father called me at 7 am to "get out the vote" or "rock the vote" or something.

 I guess reminding me to vote.

And vote I did, suckers!

Happy Election Day!!

Lori Ann
***oh man, I love election night coverage! One commentator was talking about how remaining democratic senators are looking at the fate of those democrats who "walked the plank" and voted for health care reform. How can I make the phrase "walk the plank" more a part of my every day conversations??***

Just wait and see..aka I'm sorry for not getting it, North Carolina aka the triumph of Fear

Well,

Chalk up another victory for FEAR.

Fear and I have a never ending battles -which fear usually wins!  

I was ALL set to go and sleep out in the field behind my office, when I decided to watch what AOL termed

  "the 20 scariest movie scenes of all time"

Big mistake. 

Looks like this goal will have to go back on the shelf for another year.

 Dang it. 

However, as a small consolation prize, I have promised myself that I will be 

CONQUERING MY FEAR OF THE BASEMENT

when I go home for Thanksgiving!

Lori Ann

p.s. On a side note, I have been lamenting being trapped in North Carolina for another fall.

I have been dreaming of the crisp, chilly, and stunningly beautiful fall days of Pennsylvania.

I asked God to help me not hate where I live, and He opened my eyes to see that I was

surrounded by beauty. 

p.p.s. Happy Halloween, pork chops!

And just forget the world

People!

I am going wireless this weekend! (as in, no computer)

You may be sitting in front of your computer, tears running down your face, screaming "WHY??"

It's Halloween weekend people. And this year I will NOT fail to meet my goal of

SLEEPING UNDER THE STARS ON HALLOWEEN!

Nothing will stop me! (well, rain, threat of rain, fog, being uncomfortable, getting bored, and my fear of the dark could likely stop me)

Anyway, I am going to be running around all weekend, getting stuff done, so I can focus on spending Halloween Night

Looking up into the heavens

Dreaming of moving home

So that I can be

Spending Halloween Night next year

Under the stars with my little muffin babies.

Before they go and grow up on me!

Lolee

(but this weekend you can call me "dare devil"..or "devil dog"..or "the cats pajamas")

31 is still growing up now..

Ok, the public has been clamoring for more office pictures.

 Never let it be said that I didn't care about the little people!

This one is just for Eri!

 Thanks for the cute note thing!

Next we have my desk, with my infamous cranberry and ginger ale mix next to my difficult work laptop!

My bookshelf/Europe corner.

Last, the overall picture.

 Pretty glamorous, eth?

Now..on to the craziest mission story EVER told...

So, Laura (my former intern) and her companion get a call from a woman they had been teaching.

 I think she was committed for baptism.

 She stated that she urgently needed to talk to them. 

They got it approved by their zone leaders as it was after 9:30 pm.

 Then, they ran across the street to where this lady lived.
(Right across from them)

So, the scene is set.

It's a dark and hopefully stormy night when they arrive at their investigators house..

So, the woman invited them down the hall to her kitchen?

 Living room.?

Somewhere with a table. 

Spread across this table was every piece of church literature they had ever given her.

 And on top of that literature were her pills. 

That's right, her pills. 

Laura said that they were laid out in an organized fashion.

 Like: Joseph Smith pamphlet and xanax,

 proclamation to the family and ativan.

Anyway, at this point the woman began to speak to them about something.

 I think she was calling them out and talking about the devil.

 There may or may not have been some kind of exorcism that occurred.
  (I am such a great listener).

 Anyway, whatever was said, they took the whole pill/religious documents as their cue to leave.

 But before they could leave..

This woman stood up and began speaking some language.
(Laura says it was NOT gibberish).

They were edging toward the door and asking her what she was saying, when she announced "I was speaking Aramaic, because I am Jesus Christ"

Did it end there, dear readers?

 Of course not.

Laura and her comp tried to get out, but the woman blocked them in to her narrow hallway. 

You heard it right... Laura and her comp faced down a female Jesus in the narrow hallway of her one bedroom apartment surrounded by all of her pills.

Apparently, at this point, Laura's comp yelled "What's that over there?"

When the woman turned, they pushed past her and got out of the apartment.

As they ran to their apartment, she continued to shout threats and taunts at them.

 I think it was like "I'm watching you", "You're Satan's puppets", stuff like that etc. 

I doubt anyone could top that, but I challenge all you RM's out there to try!

Thanks for letting me tell your story, Laura.

 You are the best.

 In exchange I bequeath you my black office chair!

Lori Ann